Initiator001
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wasn't the X-29 built from an F-20 fuselage?
Rex
The X-29s used fuselages from F-5s.
wasn't the X-29 built from an F-20 fuselage?
Rex
The top speed is still classified--Mach 3.3 is confirmed--Mach 3.5 is unconfirmed over Libya--( a friend of mine-older than me--flew A-12's and would never would tell me the top end !!)
The SR-71 flight envelope is attached, from the SR-71 pilots manual, which was published by Motorbooks International. The design Mach number, and the normal maximum cruise Mach number, was Mach 3.2. Max allowed Mach number was Mach 3.3 with permission of the wing commander. In either case the compressor inlet temperature was not to exceed 427 deg C.
SR-71 Flight Envelope.jpg
At Mach 3.3 thrust was still greater than drag (they had good margin on their thrust/drag when they designed the aircraft). From past programs I worked where we were going to mount flight experiments on an SR-71, Mach 3.2/Mach 3.3 were set as the limits because the lateral-directional stability and control derivatives (especially Clbeta dynamic) were getting low, and if you had an inlet unstart at higher Mach numbers you could lose the aircraft. Thrust was still greater than drag at Mach 3.3, you had to throttle back.
Part of fuselage. Typical F-5 is a twin engine, Grumman X-29 is single engine. And from the intakes back looks for all the world like a Northrop F-20, which was also known as F-5G. So, it could be said that both F-5 and F-20 are correct.The X-29s used fuselages from F-5s.
To build the X-29, Grumman modified a Northrop F-5's forward fuselage and mounted composite wings on it. The layers of composite fibers were tailored so that as the tips bent upward, the wing's leading edge twisted down, countering the nasty tendency of the wing to diverge and fail. The main gear came from an F-16, and its engine, a General Electric F404, powered the F/A-18, the stealthy F-117, and many others.
I saw an hour documentary on the Arrow and why it went away.Its planform and name sure fit together. Had a funky way of opening canopy too.
I find myself partial to delta wings.
And I'm not entirely sure what my precise definition of beautiful would be.
SAAB Viggen draws my attention.
As does Douglas F4D.
I'm sure A-10 would be of angelic level beauty to ground pounders.
Somehow, shape of F-4 Phantom's main landing gear doors brings to mind raptor talons.
Hawker Sea Hawk was a graceful little thing.
I'd say that last is the mark of a successful system and a successful pilot.With time, you not only flew tactically as one with the aircraft, but you also operated and employed the weapons system in the same manner. I had never played the piano, but I eventually felt as if I did while operating the F-16N. It was amazing at times in the debrief to watch the tapes and see what you had done during and engagement, realizing that you had done many of these things without ever consciously thinking about them.[/I]
Another great B-2 photo:
THAT--is a cool pic!
The B2 kinda looks sinister in that pick, AWESOME!
Looks like I might be getting closer to being able to find a Sukhoi 27KUB (or a variant of it) in my preferred scale. Kinetic, Hobbyboss, and Kitty Hawk have released several nice 1/48 Flanker variant kits recently. Hobbyboss has a Su-34 Fullback out now. I'm seriously thinking of picking up Kinetic's Su-33 Flanker D and/or Kitty Hawk's Su-35 Flanker E.
I'd love to try my hand at a paper model version of the KUB in 1/33 scale.
Didn't the A12 have a longer tail section? Or am I thinking of a SR-71 variant?
"HERE" is some interesting data.
Something else I came upon...
M-21 Blackbird Aircraft
The Lockheed M-21 Blackbird is a unique variant of the A-12, the earliest Blackbird type. Built for a CIA program code-named "Tagboard," the M-21 carried unpiloted Lockheed D-21 vehicles for intelligence gathering. These drones were intended for launch from the M-21 "mother ship" for flights over hostile territories. Design features of the M-21 include the second seat for the Launch Control Officer and the launch pylon on which the drone is mounted. The sole surviving M-21 was built in 1963, and today is on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Sea Dart.
I like how it looks so scifi .
Cool, an amazing coincidence.Finally someone posted a pic of a tail I've flown! 383 is a full on hot rod - a single seat Block 50 with a GE-129 in it. One of the flights I did in it was an FCF (functional check flight) at Edwards back in the day which includes a max AB takeoff followed by a vertical climb. The FCF config is a clean with just internal fuel. With the 129, that puts the thrust to weight at greater than 1:1 as soon as you release brakes. I had to take it completely out of AB to keep from going supersonic before the end of the runway. Back in burner, then a 7+G pull to the vertical and a quick jaunt to 30k+.
Here's a shot I took when I picked up that jet from depot maintenance at Hill AFB in Salt Lake City back in 2013. Brand new matte paint care of the paint shop at Hill. It didn't even have the 416th tail flash yet.
View attachment 333492
Finally someone posted a pic of a tail I've flown! 383 is a full on hot rod - a single seat Block 50 with a GE-129 in it. One of the flights I did in it was an FCF (functional check flight) at Edwards back in the day which includes a max AB takeoff followed by a vertical climb. The FCF config is a clean with just internal fuel. With the 129, that puts the thrust to weight at greater than 1:1 as soon as you release brakes. I had to take it completely out of AB to keep from going supersonic before the end of the runway. Back in burner, then a 7+G pull to the vertical and a quick jaunt to 30k+.
Here's a shot I took when I picked up that jet from depot maintenance at Hill AFB in Salt Lake City back in 2013. Brand new matte paint care of the paint shop at Hill. It didn't even have the 416th tail flash yet.
View attachment 333492
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